An election where every vote counts

Umm Abdullah has no plans whatsoever to vote in the Federal National Council (FNC) elections set to take place on September 24. She does not personally know any of the 124 candidates running from Dubai. She can surely connect names of some candidates with the families they belong to from the community, yet she has decided that it is best not to cast her vote for anyone because she is not fully knowledgeable about who they really are.

A housewife with a university degree, Umm Abdullah's life revolves around what she cherishes most — her home and children. Hence, she is very much concerned about the quality of education and health care her children receive. But she is least interested in the candidacy of 468 individuals from across the country who are attempting to enter the FNC.

Is Umm Abdullah's an isolated case?

At a recent gathering — which Umm Abdullah was part of — one of the women present was relaying a telephone conversation of an acquaintance whose nephew was running for the elections. "Tell all the women in your family to vote for him. Tell them to come to his majlis on the days designated for women." Umm Abdullah could not resist asking her if she would be voting for him, given that her own name was on the Electoral College list. With an initial awed reaction, she said with a big, surprised smile on her face: "My name is on the list? I didn't know that. But what do I have to do with elections!"

The answer echoes the hesitancy of Umm Abdullah who, at a wedding, was requested by one of the guests to vote for a candidate. She even had the unpleasant experience of running into a candidate who was giving out her candidacy business cards there. "And why on earth should I give them my vote! Will they keep their promises? How much do they know about the FNC in the first place?" This was the angry reaction of Umm Abdullah.

If anything, the talk about the elections is part of an ongoing conversation in the Emirati community. Regardless of what is being said, the conversation has been established which is a step in the right direction. And like men, women are also part of it — an indication that a constructive process has been set in motion.

But why is it so important for the voters to personally know the candidates? Would that really make any difference to the process? After all, this year's elections are part of a long-term effort to change the mechanism through which the FNC evolves in carrying out its duties towards the nation.

And it is this realisation that will be the determining factor that would make clear who is most eligible for the FNC.

Candidates reaching out

Candidates have used a common means to reach out to the 129,274 voters on the Electoral College. Some of the names are recognisable given their background either in fields of business or academia. Others have years of public service to back them up.

Yet almost all of them use the same terminologies and catch phrases when it comes to their agenda, taking up issues such as better education, health care, economy, environment, family support and unemployment. Now which voter would not agree with such an agenda? Umm Abdullah for sure is one who would agree with anything that is beneficial for the community. But she is not fully satisfied with the manner in which these candidates have been trying to reach out to her and other voters. Candidates have used advertising in newspapers, brochures and leaflets, neon signs on bridges, posters on the roads and banners across streets. Some have even uploaded videos on YouTube, opened accounts on social networks, and distributed custom-made candidacy business cards in public venues, including mosques and at weddings parties. Logos have been created and even poetry has been used.

Whether it is in print or through an open majlis, Umm Abdullah was not really impressed. Why is that? The glitzy ads and neon signs are distant. They are too glamorous as the studio photos of some candidates have been touched up to such an extent that there is no way to convince someone like Umm Abdullah that they spoke of a candidate's character. In fact, advertising agencies have produced the material in the same way that they would have for consumer products and services.

"Is this candidate trying to convince me to vote for her or is she modelling in an ad?," was Umm Abdullah's question on one of the ads. "Even some of the men looked way too ‘clean' and pompous in their ads."

Have some campaigns damaged rather than helped some of the candidates? Well, Umm Abdullah certainly knows the answer to that.

But what really makes one candidate better than the other? On what basis would the voters be swayed and convinced?

This is a dark area. It is like a blind spot, for candidates have to think of practical strategies that would assist in securing the minimum number of votes to win a seat. It is much the same for voters as an ad or an encounter at a majlis does not provide much information about the candidates.

Candidates' demographic make-up

The three emirates with the highest number of candidates are Dubai, followed by Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Women make up 18.6 per cent of the total number of candidates running for the elections. This means that although women account for 46 per cent of the Electoral College, few of them have opted to run for the elections.

Still, this should not be an issue for the likes of Umm Abdullah. After all she has 26 women candidates to choose from in Dubai — the highest compared to the number in other emirates. This is followed by Abu Dhabi where 22 women are competing for seats.

In addition, most of the candidates are not very young. Almost three quarters of the candidates are above 31 but below 50. Candidates belonging to the age group 31-40 constitute 38 per cent of the total number, which is closely followed by those in the age group of 41-50 (35 per cent).

Hence, the middle-aged Umm Abdullah should not have a problem; she strongly believes that age does indeed matter. After all, the younger generation — that is the age group of 21-30 — constitutes a mere 8.7 per cent of the total number of candidates.

The age break-up of the candidates stands in contrast to the overall make-up of the Electoral College, where those belonging to the age group of 21-30 account for 38 per cent of the total number.

But this contrast is most welcomed by Umm Abdullah for she does not believe that many are equipped to run for the elections. "The young have yet to learn many things. Do these young candidates understand what the FNC is all about, how it works, and what are its rights and duties?"

Candidate break-up by emirate

Not many candidates who are in the age group of 21-30 are running for elections. In Abu Dhabi for instance, there are only 10 candidates in this group that are contesting.

The remaining candidates mainly belong to the age group of 31-40 (47 per cent). Abu Dhabi, in fact, is the only emirate where the youngest voter is 25 and not 21 years old, like in all other emirates.

The scene is similar in Dubai where only 14 candidates belong to the age group of 21-30. Those in the 41-50 age group dominate, making up 42 per cent of the total number of candidates.

Interestingly though, in Dubai, a reasonable percentage (18 per cent) of candidates belong to the 51-60 age group.

The trend trails similarly in the other emirates. For example, in Sharjah, candidates in the age group of 31-40 make up 40 per cent. Ajman is no different with 38 per cent of candidates belonging to the same age group. What is significant here is that candidates between 51-60 years of age make up 23.5 per cent of the overall number.

Old vs young

Surely, Umm Abdullah must have been comforted by these figures. This is more so given that the age group of 21-30 make up 38 per cent of the Electoral College, mainly in the lists of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

But it is Fujairah where this young group accounts for a high number on the emirate's Electoral College list with a strong 53.5 per cent. In Sharjah, this age group makes up 45.6 per cent, followed by Ras Al Khaimah (42 per cent).

Women vs men

In almost all the emirates, women fare well on the Electoral College lists. In Abu Dhabi they constitute 51.6 per cent of the list and 52.6 per cent in Dubai.

In Sharjah though, the situation is reversed. It is men who make up the majority of the voters at 52 per cent. It is also here where the age of voters rises dramatically with the oldest voter being 98 years old.

In the other emirates, women's presence starts to falter but insignificantly. In Ras Al Khaimah they form 38.4 per cent of the total number of voters, 38.5 per cent in Ajman, 32.6 per cent in Umm Al Quwain, and 31.9 per cent in Fujairah.

Conclusion

Coming back to Umm Abdullah, as the election date comes closer, there is still a chance for her to be convinced about how important it is to cast her vote.

After all, this would be one election where every single vote would really count. And hopefully, Umm Abdullah can find an attractive choice that shines beyond the glitter of colourful ads and leaflets.